BEATLES Get Back / Don't Let Me Down 45 VERY 1st UK PRESSING 1969 UNPLAYED MINT

Sold Date: September 14, 2018
Start Date: September 7, 2018
Final Price: £193.70 (GBP)
Bid Count: 14
Seller Feedback: 4739
Buyer Feedback: 20


"GET BACK" (John Lennon / Paul McCartney, January 1969.)

Jojo was a man who thought he was a loner,
But he knew it couldn't last.
Jojo left his home in Tucson, Arizona,
For some California grass.

Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged,
Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged,
Get back, Jojo,
Go home.

Get back, get back,
Back to where you once belonged,
Get back, get back,
Back to where you once belonged,
Get back, Jo!

Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman,
But she was another man.
All the girls around her say she's got it coming,
But she gets it while she can.

Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged,
Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged,
Get back, Loretta,
Go home!

Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged,
Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged.

Get back, Loretta,
Your mama's waiting for you,
Wearing her high-heel shoes,
And her low-neck sweater,
Get back home, Loretta!

Get back, get back,
Get back to where you once belonged,
Get back, get back,
Get back.....

THE BEATLES: "Get Back" /  "Don't Let Me Down"  45 RPM, VERY FIRST UK PRESSING, 26th APRIL 1969.
A quick reminder "Don't Let Me Down" was not included on the "Let It Be" album, it was performed live on the rooftop of Apple's
London's offices as seen and heard in the film, but selected to be the exclusive track on the "Get Back" single.


DARK GREEN APPLE LABEL: R 5777
'Dark Green' applies to the A-side label, both side's labels are immaculate without any spindle alignment traces at all.

MAITRIX: 7XCE 21296 - 1U  /  7XCE 21297 - 1U

EMI STAMPING CODES:  GTT  1  /  GTP 4
One side has a '1' digit at 9 o'clock in the run-out grooves, signifying a first mother and for the other side, a fourth mother.
An expected mixture of the pre-prepared mothers for such an anticipated huge selling single...and it certainly was, then the
'-1 U / -1 U' maitrix places this among the 'first of the first' pressings.


CONTRARY TO HOW I KEEP SEEING THE 1980's RE-ISSUES BEING SOLD ON EBAY AS THE 'FIRST PRESSINGS,'
IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1969, EMI WERE STILL PRINTING "Sold In UK" ON THE LABELS.  WITH THE DARK GREEN
LABEL ON SIDE 1, BOTH DETAILS COMBINE TO GIVE DEFINITIVE DETAILS OF A GENUINE FIRST PRESSING.


THE PUSH-OUT LABELS HAVE,"With Billy Preston" UNDERNEATH "The Beatles" CREDIT ON BOTH SIDES.


1969 TOP OPENING SEMI-GLOSSY APPLE SLEEVE,  UNUSED, UNSPLIT, IN EXCELLENT+++ / NEAR MINT CONDITION.
Along with the inevitable record impression related gentle creases are a few edge lines, unlike counterfeit sleeves, originals
wore really poorly with constant use and handling.  Especially these 1968 - 1969 sleeves, initially with a glossy top surface, by
April '69, a semi-glossy top surface was introduced, both 1969 types replaced the 1968 wavy top opening's, with a straight top.
They full glossy sleeves were flawed though and 'cracked' with the weight of the records, yes, you would think the design was
tested but it was still the 60's, ideas and designs were changing almost weekly.

EMI had these types made with a semi-glossy top surface...surprise, surprise, the same happened and by the end of 1969, common
sense prevailed and standard matt paper Apples sleeves replaced them.  The straight top remained as a permanent shape for the
rest of the 1970's decade.  So until the full glossy sleeves were used up, both types were in use during 1969, Apple were
not exactly releasing dozens of singles in 1969 and once again, first pressings or originals came in either type. The matt finish
of the 70's decade was much thinner and... yes, they wore poorly unless lightly used and perfectly stored, all four distinctive
designs & materials were not practicle for long term use or in storage. In saying that, an original Apple record does look superb
in the black sleeve with the 'Apple' lettering in green, in reality this semi-glossy sleeve is in  exceptional condition for this
particular Apple sleeve's vulnerability to creases.  With that in mind, I always accept materials and designs have to incorporated
into grading.  Unused and perfectly stored like this, does make utter nonsense of the current grading system!  The immense rarity
of an unplayed Mint first pressed "Get Back" record demands that exceptions should be regarded on their own merits.

Excuse my frustration, every time I sell a 1968 - early 1969 Apple single in top condition, an authentic 1969 Apple sleeve must
be viewed in the same manner we accept the weakly designed and inadequate "Let it Be" Box and inner trays, even the book's
tendency to shed pages just by daring to turn them, the book, outer cover and both trays must still remains 100% authentic and
never tainted by counterfeit replacement's.  I speak as a collector as well as a seller on this subject, this is relevant because
both tracks on this single were from  the "Get Back" / "Let It Be" sessions and rehearsals, counterfeit sleeves boxes and trays
and the fake 7" Apple sleeves, should not even be openly on sale on a site claiming they will not tolerate counterfeit items.

This Apple sleeve is not torn or split and still has the semi-glossy top surface, along with the creases that began the day this record
was inserted 49 years ago.  An unused sleeve with an unplayed record inside, should really be graded Near Mint when the creases
are directly related to the record's internal position and 100% authentic to how this was first bought in April,1969.


THE IMMACULATE LABELS DO NOT HAVE ANY SPINDLE ALIGNMENT TRACES, THE EQUALLY PRISTINE, DEEPLY
GLOSSY VINYL IS THAT OF A TRUE MINT RECORD.
To name these labels 'textured' is an understatement, the thickness of the paper is typical of the genuine very first pressings, the
smooth labels followed, any spindle contact instantly left visually obvious marks.  There are none, all you see in my close up
pictures are natural paper lines, including faint white lines radiating away from the middle from the removal of the centre hole.
This has clearly never been on a spindle /turntable and although I do find them, this is a very rare unplayed "Get Back" single.
Even unplayed records were handled at at least two stages before being bought, the pressing plant was the first place where they
were placed into the sleeves by hand.  Next came record shop handling and in the 60's and 70's, that included being played for
customers or to play in the shop for the atmosphere.   Factory handling was not restricted to 60's & 70's, I buy recently pressed
vinyl sealed in shrink wrapping for myself and I find exactly as just described, vinyl can only ever be vinyl in any decade and
this kind of discussion is intended for those just getting into records. Yes, Mint records exist without any handling traces or
imprints from the metal pressing plates that can also be incorrectly interpreted as stylus marks, I make sure to include that as
well as near invisible factory traces.  The played records in shops were sold as new regardless, this was not played and the only
handling or pressing related traces are feather light, tiny and near invisible.   Due to the  immense rarity of an unplayed 1969
first of "Get Back" I will not play the record myself, but offer it in the ultimate condition after 49 years.  True Mint records contain
that very special slight echo from the sound bouncing from the building's around the Apple headquarter's rooftop.
THE RECORD IS IN REALLY BEAUTIFUL, GLEAMING UNPLAYED, MINT CONDITION.


In January,1969, "Get Back" started out as an improvised jam in Twickenham Film Studio's and their yet to be titled film and the
album, were were originally intended to be named after that superb song. The original lyrics were initially improvised by Paul and
John immediately picked up on the feel and contributed lines while the two worked together on them, with the kind of passion that
lately seemed to be something from the past.  They were writing individually at home and bringing their latest compositions into
Abbey Road for input from the others, but "Get Back" was a 'Lennon / McCartney' composition in the truest meaning of a writing
partnership.  Not just Paul and John, George and Ringo made such a strong input, it was the finest ever Beatles created song and
ultimately, their finest live performance since Hamburg!   The Beatles were far from being racist's, more like comedians and the
ad-libbed lyrics were sung as a very funny joke, let's just say the lyrics from the first version would not make suitable reading
for an ebay description!  The creation of a brand new song was precisely how John and Paul had always worked from the beginning
in a studio.  Often they wrote independently as just outlined but if either of them had an idea of even a fraction of a song they
collectively completed it, significantly that was not just John and Paul.  For all the tension in the air, even open hostilities,
"Get Back" became a very important song, effectively it united them because it was loved by all the four Beatles and they played
"Get Back" over and over again, until they became fluent from their extended jams, the foundations with some structured verses
started to form.  I should really say I have every version from the first, on unofficial sources they make fascinating, absorbing
listening, even the discussions when they needed to nail say how a chorus finished.  Meanwhile more acceptable lyrics emerged
with every new attempt made and evolved from those lengthy and improvised jams, settling into the familiar format.


If any song best sums up the Beatles at the end of their career, you could pick so many of the tracks from "Abbey Road" but even
being a chronologically last recordings made, still does not match how they actually created such a great song, this could have
been written at any point in the 60's.  In other words "Get Back" was the consummate Beatles rock track because it pulled together
all the original blues roots found on "Love Me Do" in 1962.   Back then and earlier still, it all began by them performing cover
versions of rock & roll songs, ten years later they had spontaneously created a fantastic track, while supposedly being in their
death throw as a band.  Through all the tensions of the month long filming, above all, this was the song that kept them working
together and pulling in the same direction.  Whenever they were getting stale or just fed up in the confinements of being filmed,
by working on the feel of perfecting "Get Back," it restored waning enthusiasm and got their creative juices flowing again.
     
"Get Back" was also the last song they performed live on Apple's rooftop during the filming, the album would of course be left
unreleased until May,1970, after they had finished the performance, John Lennon made his famous comment about hoping they
had 'passed their audition.'  While the "Let It Be" film and the music tapes sat on a shelf gathering dust,"Get Back" paired with
"Don't Let Me Down" was issued in April,1969.   The single received critical acclaim and became the next Beatles No.1 single to
follow the 1968 "Hey Jude", still only the second Beatles single released on Apple. I write release dates like those nearly every
day, but I still find it hard to take in that this incredible record is approaching half a century of age.

When examining a first pressing in such outstanding condition, the label details are that extra bit special to describe and I only
select first pressings as close to Mint as possible, unplayed on both sides is unbelievable!   Huge selling records, but ebay has
demonstrated only a handful are in conditions above VG or far, far worse.  Beatles singles to me are still the greatest 45's ever
made, the excitement of waiting for the release date has not left me and it never will.  I'm sure others who experienced those
amazing eight years feel the same, my motivation has always been to let those who missed the era, to at least be able to see and
hear exactly what is was like to buy them, before that kind of damage the overwhelming majority suffered from.

The "Get Back"label is the dark green colour, as April fell inside the year of 1969 use of "Sold In The UK", this naturally has
that text on both side's centres. By the time "Abbey Road" came out later in 1969, "Sold in The UK" had been dropped by EMI
and that happened earlier in July '69, so only the first pressings/originals/ first editions will have that text.  It was a huge
selling single all right, requiring multiple pressings so do not always expect the mothers to be low on genuine first issues.
A No.1 single that remained in the UK charts for 17 consecutive weeks, which took it into the August, why so many of the later
pressings made after July did not have the "Sold In UK" text.  This is an exception for the condition and for being among the
very first pressings made, often the lowest mothers are found on the much later light green labels without "Sold in The UK,"


As "Don't Let Me Down" was not included on the "Let It Be" LP, that alone makes original singles essential, John Lennon's lead
vocals were absolutely stunning, showing a real touch of those soulful r&b songs from the "Please Please Me" album in his live
performance, for example, "Anna" and "Baby It's You."  A wonderful Beatles single, unplayed is off the scale for rarity and this
is one to keep and treasure!
{Roy}


R & M RECORDS.
My lifetime's love of music and records began at a very young age, the arrival of the Beatles and the 1960's decade
in general had a very profound effect. It was only natural to bring all my first hand experience of collecting vinyl
into becoming a professional record seller.  Nearly thirty years ago we entered into the wonderful atmosphere
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